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Martin Boehm was born in 1725 and lived in Lancaster, PA where he was a farmer and was appointed as pastor of his Mennonite parish. But something began to happen at prayer meetings in his home and he was asked to leave. These prayer meetings would have as many as 50 to 100 people packed into their farm house.

Here is an excerpt found in his son’s book, Henry Boehm, which is listed below. His son lived 100 years and traveled with Francis Asbury and records some outstanding works of God. The book can still be purchased at http://www.boehmschapel.org/ where the family has had it republished.

“Mr Abbott wrote his life, and in it he describes his visit to my father’s, his preaching, and the wonderful results that followed. I prefer he should give it in his own peculiar style.

At Boehm’s we found a large congregation. When I came to my application the power of the Lord came in such a manner that the people fell all about the house, and their cries might be heard afar off. This alarmed the wicked, who sprang for the doors in such haste that they fell over one another in heaps. The cry of mourners was so great that I though to give out a hymn to drown the noise, and desired one of the English friends to raise it; but as soon as he began to sing the power of the Lord struck him, and he pitched under the table, and there lay like a dead man. I gave it out again, and asked another to raise it. As soon as he attempted he fell also. I then made the third attempt, and the power of God came upon me in such a manner that I cried out and was amazed. I then saw that I was fighting against God, and did not attempt to sing again.

Mr Boehm, the owner of the house, and a preacher among the Germans, cried out, ‘I never saw God in this way before.’ I replied, ‘This is Pentecost, father.’ ‘Yes, be sure,’ said he, clapping his hands, ‘pentecost, be sure.’ Prayer was all through the house, up stairs and down. I desired Mr Boehm to go to prayer. He did so, and five or six of us did the same.

…seeing no prospect of this meeting being over, although it had begun at eleven o’clock (am), I told Mr Boehm we had best quietly withdraw from the meeting-house. When we had got out of the door a young man came out and laid hold upon the fence to support himself from falling and there cried amain for God to have mercy upon him. ‘To be sure,’ said Mr Boehm, ‘I never saw God in this way before.’

I took the old gentleman by the arm, and we went quietly to the house to get some dinner. About five o’clock a messenger came from the preaching house requesting that I would go there immediately, for there was a person dying. We went without delay. I went up stairs, and there lay several about the floor in like manner. I then went to see the person said to be dying. She lay gasping. I knelt down to pray, but it was instantly given me that God had converted her soul, and therefore, instead of praying for her deliverance, I gave God thanks that he had delivered her, and immediately she arose and praised God for what he had done for her soul.

…In the morning I found the people were still engaged, and had been all night.

We set out with about forty friends to the next appointment. The people being gathered, after singing and prayer I began to preach, and God laid to his helping hand. Many cried aloud for mercy. One young man being powerfully wrought upon retired up stairs, and then thumped about on the floor, so that Mr Boehm was afraid that he would be injured in body. ‘To be sure,’ said he, ‘I never saw God work in this way before.’…”

Following is are two paragraphs from J Edwin Orr’s book, The Eager Feet, and found on page 66.

“In Virginia, a sorry state of affairs existed at Hampden-Sydney College, a Presbyterian school. On campus in 1787, there was drunkenness, cheating, lying and profanity, the students being utterly careless in conduct and character. A group of three students, all unconverted–so far as one can ascertain–but concerned about conditions on campus and about their own spiritual destiny, deciced to hold a prayer meeting to entreat the Almighty. They locked themselves in a room to avoid ridicule or uproar. All were novices about intercession. ‘We tried to pray,’ said one, ‘but such prayer I never heard the like of. We tried to sing, but it was in a most suppressed manner, for we feared the other students.’ They were discovered, and a tormenting mob tried to break down the door and rough them up.”

“The president of Hampden-Sydney College was Dr. John Blair Smith, born 1756, converted 1770. Called upon to investigate the uproar, he rebuked the rowdies and told the praying youths that they could meet in his private room. This they did, and thus began a remarkable college revival. Many vicious and profane students were converted, and the movement was extended over three or four counties by the preaching of Blair Smith, who won more than two hundred young people to Christian faith within a year and a half–several of whom became outstanding leaders in the greater awakening soon to come.”

Acts 2:17-18 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.

Peter is preaching a sermon and begins it by quote the prophet Joel in Joel 2. I shared only half of it because the point I am wanting to make is here in these two verses.

He quoted Joel and then at the end of verse 18 Peter added a phrase that was not found in Joel’s prophesy. Actual, it is mentioned once but Peter took it upon himself to add it a second time for emphasis, “And they shall prophesy.”

Why should Peter choose to emphasize prophesying? It would seem to be a key to what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do. Acts 11:27; Acts 21:8-9; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5,31